Office of the Historian

127. Telegram From the Department of State to the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba1

Washington, December 2, 1980, 2230Z

319355. Eyes only for Wayne Smith from Peter Tarnoff. Subject: Discussion of Orderly Departure Program. Ref: Havana 8201.2

1. Secret—Entire text.

2. You are authorized to approach JLP3 and to make the following points:

—We appreciate President Castro’s raising the question of an orderly departure program with us. As we have said previously, [Page 272] we believe that it is in the best interest of Cuba and the U.S. for both countries to agree on regularized procedures for authorized immigration.

—President Carter is prepared to have the U.S. begin discussions of an orderly departure program at an early date. The head of our small negotiating team would be Ambassador Frank Loy who is director of the Bureau of Refugee Programs. We propose holding these conversations in New York starting on December 15. After agreement has been reached on the opening of the talks, we propose that both governments release simultaneously a brief joint public announcement.

—The incoming administration has been informed at a high level of the Cuban Government willingness to begin conversations with the U.S. on an orderly departure program. The incoming administration has no objection to having the present administration initiate these talks, and will not comment publicly if the talks do begin.

3. FYI: We prefer to use your channel to Castro through JLP to reach agreement on opening these talks. I would be prepared to become involved in setting them up (but not to participate in the discussions) only if you and JLP believe it necessary for me to do so in order to reach an agreement to start. End FYI.4

Muskie
  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Country, Box 16, Cuba, 1/81. Secret; Cherokee; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Tarnoff; cleared by Muskie, Christopher, Bowdler, and in RP; approved by Tarnoff.↩
  2. In telegram 8201 from Havana, November 28, the Interests Section reported that Castro had expressed curiosity about establishing an immigration policy centered around an “orderly departure process.” (Ibid.)↩
  3. Jose Luis Padron.↩
  4. The first round of talks, held on December 22 and 23, were inconclusive. The Cubans asked the American delegation to accept “30 to 40,000 Cubans annually.” U.S. officials maintained their ceiling was 29,000 Cubans per year, but President Carter wrote “no” next to that number when reading a December 24 summary of the talks. (Presidential Evening Reading, December 24, drafted by Loy; Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Country, Box 16, Cuba, 1/81)↩